


cowboy like me

by callme_barrelrider



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:08:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28199628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callme_barrelrider/pseuds/callme_barrelrider
Summary: What if Din Djarin was in love once upon a time?When you come to Nevarro to get your guild credentials, you come across an old love.Canon divergent, Grogu is home too.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Reader, Din Djarin/You
Comments: 1
Kudos: 37





	1. cowboy like me

**Author's Note:**

> Written as part of a Secret Santa fit exchange and I got a little carried away.

You let your head tilt back, smacking against the headrest of the pilot’s seat. There were two more standard hours in hyperspace before you would reach your destination, and you considered closing your eyes. These last three days had not gone the way you expected them, with a rowdy bounty leading you on a wild bantha chase that consisted of moon hopping and them inevitably ending up in carbonite anyway. You were tired, but you were headed to a new planet to finally get your Guild credentials. Worth it.   
***  
You shifted in your seat as you woke to the alert from the autopilot, back and neck stiff from sitting in one position for so long. Time was up, time to land on Nevarro. You ran your fingers through your hair, trying to tame it some so you could braid it back. You picked up your helmet from the copilot’s seat, settling the beskar over your head. The display flickered to life, offering enhanced views of your path to the surface. You took control of your ship, entering the atmosphere and deciding to settle on the outskirts of the town you had been told about. It didn’t look like much, with its overcast skies and unassuming arch at the entrance to the town with blaster marks scarring it. 

You opened your footlocker, pulled out your rifle. You checked to make sure your vibroblade and blaster were secure. You went to close it again but stopped. The small square of beskar you had swiped from an Imp glimmered through the visor of your helmet. On autopilot, it ended up in the sleeve pocket on your left arm and the footlocker was closed. 

You lowered the ramp and walked down, engaging your ground security before you went in search of the cantina you were to meet your contact in. You would have to come back to let them get the bounties, but you didn’t trust the contact yet. The volcanic soil crunched under your boots. You could see the residents milling about, some with small children at their side. That made you smile. How bad a place could it be if there were kids? You kept walking, keeping a brisk pace. You stopped at a set of unassuming doors with the right numbers inscribed above them. They opened on their own. 

Various species were scattered around the cantina, drinking or eating or talking or just watching. No band. Odd. But they still noticed you and the talk came to a halt. 

“Mando!” came the voice of a stranger. “I’ve been waiting for you!” 

“I’m sure,” you replied, an edge of suspicion coloring your words that you never could quite get rid of. The onlookers went back to their drinks and conversations.

“Come, sit, we have business to attend you.”

He led you to a booth on the right side of the bar, and you sat with your back to the wall. 

“You Mandos are all the same, you know.”

You tilted your helmet at him. 

“You won’t sit anywhere except against the wall, and no matter how I rave about the spotchka you won’t drink with me.” 

“Seems like you’ve had a lot of experience with Mandalorians then.”

“You could say that, but then you could say I don’t. I don’t share my dealings with other Guild members.” 

“To business then? I don’t have all day.” 

“Of course. What do you have for me?”

“Enough to get into the Guild.” 

You slid the two tracking fobs across the table. 

“Are you sure you want in?” 

“I need work, Guild has work.”

“Very well. Let’s get the offload going.”  
***  
You adjusted the rifle strap across your chest and wandered back into the town. You had heard rumors of a covert here and wanted to see for yourself if they were true. You hadn’t seen another Mandalorian since you left your home seven years prior. The Empire had taken control of your planet and flushed the small tribe you belonged to from its covert. You had survived on your found talent as a bounty hunter. You had always had a knack for tracking, payment was a side benefit you had figured out when the handsy pirate you had laid out turned out to have a price on his capture. 

A flicker of motion in the periphery caught your eye. A heavy curtain was settling back into place, tucked away in the corner of the marketplace behind a food stand. You walked past the monkey-lizards in their cage and paused beside the unassuming entryway. You listened. As you considered entering, a girl no older than 10 crept through the curtain and into the square, paying you no mind. She moved quickly, but the mythosaur around her neck let you know this was the place. 

You stepped behind the curtain yourself, walking down the steps as quietly as you could. There were maybe five kids running around the hall, laughing at something. You were maybe ten steps away from the stairs when you were met with a mountain of a Mandalorian. 

“Where did you get that?” he demanded. 

“It was crafted for me in pieces.” You knew he was referring to the beskar you wore and hoped your answer would be enough. 

“Why should I believe you?” 

You pulled down the material of the glove on your left hand, revealing your own mythosaur your clan had given you. 

“Very well, you are welcome to rest here. There aren’t many of us left here so there is space.”

“Where is your Armorer?” 

“Keep walking, take the first left, you’ll know where she is.”

“Thank you.”

You set off, felt the stares of other Mandalorians that were scattered through the halls. You didn’t dare meet their glances. You felt much the intruder, with your phoenix rebellion symbol painted onto your back and frynock signet welded onto your pauldron. You kept walking until you reached the forge, halting to make sure the Armorer wasn’t busy. Satisfied with silence, you entered and knelt at her table. She came from behind the flames, kneeling across from you. You slipped the beskar square out of its pocket and set it in front of her. 

“I know it isn’t much, but it belongs back with Mandalorians.”

“It would be enough to produce a small blade if that is your preferred medium.”

“Yes. It always has been since I was a child.”

“Very well.”   
***  
You left the forge with your small blade now in a leather sheath on your left arm. You were adjusting the straps when you heard your name. Your real name. The only people who knew that name had been scattered across the galaxy. 

“How do you know that name?” you called as you spun on your heel to face the stranger. 

“I would know you anywhere.” He was close to you now, on the edge of your personal space. “You’re not saying you forgot me?” 

You took in the stance, the way his helmet tilted, the voice behind the vocoder. 

“Din Djarin.” 

“So, you do remember.” 

He reached for your arm, but you took a step back out of instinct; the last guy who did that had ended up dead. If he was hurt, you couldn’t tell. 

“Of course, I remember. I remember we were kids, young, dumb, responsibilities to fulfill.” Your voice was softer now. You took a half step back toward him. “I remember before we swore the Creed, before you went off to the Fighting Corps, before I went to train other foundlings. Before I joined the rebellion. That was a long time ago.”

“Yeah. Yeah, it was. Did they tell you where your quarters are?”

“Of course not, but it is what it is.”

“Come on, I’ll take you.” 

You fell into step beside him, almost like no time has passed. He led you through the halls of his covert. As you went further, you could hear the sounds of fighting from what you assumed to be the training room, snippets of the history of Mandalore before it was destroyed by the Empire. You recalled growing up, meeting the man beside you before you had covered your faces. You wondered what he looked like now. 

“Here we are.” He punched in the code for the quarters and gestured for you to go in. “I’m sure you’re tired.”

“Um, actually I got some sleep before I landed. Would you stay for a minute?” You touched his wrist, hoping it might get him to come inside. 

“Uh, sure, why not.” 

You stepped over the threshold, Din right behind you. The room was sparse, like any Mandalorian’s existence since The Great Purge. There was a bed, a kitchen area, a refresher, but not much more. This room was clearly meant for one person, there wasn’t even a chair. Your fingers itched to pull the helmet from your head now that you were in private, but you knew this wasn’t the time. You pulled your rifle off and left it by the door, then walked over to the kitchen and hopped up on the counter. You didn’t want to chance sitting on the bed and making him uncomfortable. 

“It’s been a while,” you tried. 

“You could say that.” He was still beside the entrance, standing like he wasn’t quite sure how to relax with you in the room. “But when I saw you it seemed like no time had passed at all.” 

You gestured to the counter opposite you. He didn’t move.

“You, sentimental? I never would have described you that way.” You slid off the counter and paused. “From what I remember, we were ‘supposed’ to forget each other existed. We were supposed to do our duties and what was needed of us.” You took a few steps toward him. 

“I know. But clearly that didn’t work.” His shoulders slumped as much as they could in his armor. “Now we’re here.”

“That’s true. We are here.” You stepped closer, removed your gloves. “I tried you know. I tried to forget about you. I threw myself into those foundlings, into whatever was needed of me. Then came the Empire to my new home. Then everyone was scattered. Then I hunted. Then I joined the Guild. Now I’m here.” You tossed the gloves on the counter behind you.

“I tried, and it worked for a while. I went across the galaxy for my son. But we ended up back here. And all I wanted was to tell you about it.” He closed more of the space between the two of you with two steps and took your left hand in his right. “Now I’m here.”

You didn’t respond, just lifted your joined hands, bringing your other to slip under the glove that covered his hand still. You tilted your helmet up to see him nod once. You turned your attention back to your task, shuffling the leather over his hand and knuckles. You tossed the offending article on the counter beside your own as he threaded his fingers through yours. His other hand reached up slowly, finding your chin under your helmet and tilting your head up to look at him. He leaned in, pressing his forehead to yours. 

“I missed you,” he whispered. “I didn’t know that I would ever see you again. Now that you’re here, I never want you to leave me again.”

“I—I joined the Guild, I’ll have to.” You thought he was going to break your hand when his fingers tightened around yours. 

“You just had to go and be a cowboy like me, didn’t you?” He laughed softly. You tilted your head and he let his hand drop away from it.

“Hey now, I had to do something to pay the bills.” You didn’t want him to know that desperation that had led you to this moment. “You could come with me, keep the ship clean and food cooked.” You wished he could see the way your nose scrunched when you teased him. ‘

“Karga didn’t tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“You’re not the only Mando he knows.” His laugh crackled through the vocoder. “I’m not saying we should team up but let’s also agree to not fight over bounties.”

“Yeah. Not teaming up.” You stared at your interwoven hands. “Do you remember that last afternoon?” 

You hoped the same images ran through his mind that were running through yours. You had both been given the half day off to prepare for your coming assignments. You were nervous, he had asked you to come with him to discuss something important. He had led you to the stream where the two of you had always escaped to even before you had sworn the Creed years prior. He had asked if you would be his, his to love, his to raise warriors with. The two of you had been halfway through your vows when plans had changed. The timelines had shifted, and you were both to leave that night. You had promised each other you would find your way back. But that didn’t happen. The Empire had seen to that. You had been separated and you had both assumed the other was dead. It was easier. No one would grant the two of you to ability to seek out the other. There was no time for the past, only going forward. 

“It has run through my head every night as I fall asleep since.” He pulled your hands to his chest, gently trapping yours between the cold steel and his warm touch. “All I wanted for so long was to find you, to finish those words, to see your face again. But there were other plans for us. Now we’re here.”

“We could—we’re here now.” You couldn’t keep the hope from your voice. You step even closer, your helmet resting just above your hands where his collarbone would be. 

“Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar’tome.” You almost miss his quiet words, so lost in thought and the feeling of being in his arms again. “We’ve always been one, c’yarika. Even with a galaxy between us, we just couldn’t know it.”

“Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar’tome.” You pick your head up again, doing your best attempt at eye contact. You felt a prick at the corner of your eyes but kept your composure. This was what you had always wanted, no need for tears. 

“Mhi me’dinui an.” 

“Mhi me’dinui an.” You considered that one for a moment. “Even our bounties?” 

“Mhi ba’juri verde.” He ignored your question. This was not the time for jokes, and you knew it. 

“Mhi ba’juri verde.” 

His forehead met yours again. When he pulled away briefly, you stepped back a bit, pulling him with you. You untied the sheath from your arm, from your leg and placed them with your gloves. You turned away from him, paused for a moment, placing your hands on either side of the helmet. This was it, what you had wanted for so many years. Why were you hesitating? You turned back to him, and his hands rested over yours. Together you lifted part of the barrier between the two of you. You set it to the side and stared up at him while his hands went to his own helmet. Your hands followed his. Slowly, his face was revealed to you. 

“Mesh’la,” you whispered, taking in a sight you hadn’t known you were missing. His eyes were like you remembered them, deep brown. The crease between them was new, as was the small scar across the bridge of his nose. You stood on tiptoe, pressed a kiss over that crease. He was silent, just staring at you like you hung the moon. You reached behind you, pulled your braid over your shoulder. You pulled the tie out, but his fingers were there before you could start tugging at your hair. He smoothed the end and pushed it back over your shoulder. 

“Not yet. There’s something I need to do first.” He ran the fingers of his right hand over your cheekbone; you settled into his palm on instinct. You would have closed your eyes, but you couldn’t get enough of looking at him. He seemed hesitant at first, head almost bobbing as he waffled between leaning in to kiss you and giving you space for a minute. You reached out for him, threaded your fingers through the curls at the base of his head. He closed the distance between the two of you, letting his lips brush against yours. You stayed there for a moment, just breathing each other in, taking in the feel of two halves being reunited. 

You opened your eyes, let your hand drift from his hair to his cheek. He turned his head just enough for him to press a kiss to the palm of your hand. He took your hands, brought them to his chest. You stayed there while he reached over your shoulder for your braid. He slowly undid it, gently unweaving the strands until they were free, messy, but he didn’t seem to care. He let his fingers skim over your scalp, smoothing it back. You couldn’t help but let your eyes drift closed, the soft ministrations lulling you, soothing you. 

“Mesh’la,” he whispered, pulling you closer to him still. You never wanted to leave this moment. 

You were the first to move, but only to remove the beskar so you could feel him against you. Your hands moved to your forearms first, removing the pieces that were also weapons. You went for the pauldrons next, paused as you set down the one that bore your signet. How were the two of you going to work with that? No matter. Seeing what you were doing, he followed suit. There was silence but for the occasional hiss and thud until the two of you were left in the sweaters, cowls, trousers that kept you warm in the cold expanse of space. Maybe it wouldn’t be so cold anymore. 

Din took you into his arms again, holding you against him so tightly you could hear his heart thumping in his chest. You felt his hands running over your back, your shoulders, seemingly memorizing the contours of you. 

“I can’t tell you how many ways I’ve imagined this, you,” he whispered into your hair. 

You leaned back, looking at him again, a small smile making its way onto your face. You pulled him over to the radiator and sat down, bringing him with you. You were facing each other, just enjoying seeing each other’s faces when the door to the room whooshed open. You were sure you were the picture of panic, and whipped yourself around to face the radiator fully, hoping to hide your identity. But Din remained there, staring at you, then looking over to the door. He held his hand out, reaching for what or who you couldn’t tell yet. Din took your hand in his free one, tugging on you to try and get you to turn toward him. Your curiosity got the better of you.

You were met with a tiny green creature with brown eyes only rivaled by Din’s. 

“This is Grogu, my son.”


	2. have yourself a merry little life day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some time in the future, you and Din spend Life Day together as a family.

You strode away from your ship, satchel slung over your shoulder where your rifle normally sat. It had been a week away from your tiny family and you were ready to see your boys. You stopped by the cantina and barely took in the colorful ribbons and string of lights over the bar. 

“They’re all there, Karga.” You tossed the fobs at him. “If you need me, please try not to.” 

“Big Life Day plans?” 

“You could say that, but you also couldn’t.” 

“Well, get going. Don’t keep that little green guy waiting.” He smiled and waved you away. When he figured out what had happened with you and Din he had turned into even more of a grandfather to Grogu, to the point that there was a gift for the little guy from him under the tree. 

You got up, dropping a small box on the table as you did. 

“From us. Happy Life Day.” 

You left, doors whooshing behind you. You stopped by one of the food stands, purchasing some fruit for your favorite treat. You already had most of what you needed; you just needed this because you hadn’t been able to find it yet. The curtain waved shut behind you as you hurried down the stairs. The kids were missing today, probably in their homes pestering their parents about gifts and food and the decorations. You wondered how yours was getting along. If the place wasn’t on fire, you would consider it a win. 

You wove deeper and deeper into the covert, anticipation building as you briefly considered what state you would find your family in. You stopped at the door, punching in the code you weren’t sure you actually knew anymore. The muscles of your hand knew the pattern and that was enough for you. 

“Cyar’ika, you’re home.” 

You lifted your helmet from your head as the doors closed behind you. You placed it on your designated table and shed the rest of your armor before walking over to the kitchen where Din was…baking? White powder was smudged on his nose and there were flecks of glitter on his sweater. 

“Hello, my love. What happened while I was gone?” You wrapped your arms around his neck as he brought his forehead to yours. He embraced you tight enough that you temporarily stopped breathing. You placed a chaste kiss to his lips before pulling back slightly and brushing the white off his nose. “No, really what happened to you?” 

“Well, it’s our first life day together and I wanted to make the place look nice for you and Grogu. So, I asked some of the other families how they decorate and they told me about these ornaments they made with their children’s handprints and I wanted to make one with Grogu’s and they gave me the supplies and there was this dough that you have to make and the kid decided to get into the glitter that was in the box and the recipe made so much dough and so we used some of the shapes and time got away from us and I didn’t realize how late it was and you were coming home and I am so sorry.” He took a deep breath. “I swear I’ll get it cleaned up but I wanted to surprise you with the tree and the lights and the streamers and I needed to get the ornaments baked before they got decorated and went on the tree and these ones just didn’t get done. I’m sorry.” 

You walked around the counter to get a better view of the living area. There was indeed a tree and strings of lights on every flat surface and streamers crisscrossing the ceiling, some ribbon curls interspersed here and there. In the middle of it in front of the couch was Grogu—on a cloth presumably put there by Din—covered in glitter and paint and decorating little dough circles. The only ornament on the tree was the kid’s handprint painted all green, Din’s work considering it was finished. You yanked your boots off and went back to Din. 

“My love, this is beautiful. This mess? It’s not a mess, it’s our family and memories you made with our son while I was away and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Get those ornaments out of the oven and come into the living room.” You stood on tiptoe to press a kiss to his cheek and squeezed his hand with yours. You padded into the living room and sat down across from Grogu, watching his little hands smear blue paint on one of the discs. You picked up one of the ornaments that hadn’t been painted or glittered and thought for a moment. You looked in the box that was mostly empty and pulled out a small brush. You set to work, dipping it into black and then silver paint in time. At one point you felt Din settle behind you, careful not to bump your arms, but you kept working. When it was finished, you held it by the edges gently and threaded a tie through the little opening in it. 

“It’s beautiful, c’yare,” he whispered as he rested his chin on top of your head. He took the tie in his hands and let it spin, his mudhorn on one side in black and your frynock on the other in silver. He slid back from you and stood, offering you his hand to help you up as well. You picked up a couple that Grogu was finished with and took them with you. The two of you set to hanging them on the tree. Din carefully hung the one you had painted next to Grogu’s handprint. When the two of you were finished, you left the little one to keep painting and went into the kitchen again. Apparently, Din had cleaned up while you were crafting. 

“Dinner?” You asked brightly.  
***  
You puttered around the kitchen, caf brewing and meat sizzling in a pan. You had the fruits baking in pastry while you waited for your riduur and son to come into the living area. The little one had woken up early and Din had gone to soothe him back to sleep while you went ahead and got up to get things ready for the day’s celebrations. When you had walked by the little one’s room, you saw your boys passed out again and you had gone about your morning, wishing you had a way to capture the moment on holo. 

“Good morning, love.” You heard his voice and turned to see him, Grogu in one of his arms. He wrapped his other arm around you and pressed a kiss to your forehead.   
“Good morning.” You grinned while he let you go and started pulling plates from the cabinet and setting them on the little table he had built while you were gone. 

You pulled the pastry from the oven as the timer went off and set it on a potholder. You switched off the stove and set about gathering serving tools. When it was all settled, the three of you sat down to start the day as a family. 

“I’m so thankful for the two of you. You gave me a family again.” You raised your cup of coffee and took a sip before continuing. “I pinch myself every morning that I wake up and know that you two are mine.” You stopped before the happy tears that were welling up could fall. 

“I still can’t believe that you showed up that day. I’m just glad that you accepted me.” 

The three of you ate, periodically making a joke or bringing up a new topic, like any family did. It was normal, it was you three. You left the dishes where they were, knowing they weren’t going anywhere. You picked up the kid, taking him with you to sit in front of the tree with Din. There weren’t many gifts, but you were excited to watch them be opened. 

When Grogu was done, playing with his new toy speeder, zooming around the living room and not paying any mind to the two of you, Din reached behind the tree and pulled out one more present. 

“Who’s this for?” 

“You, my love.” He set the box in your hands. 

You pulled at the edges of the paper, ripping it off and setting it to the side. You opened the box. 

“No! How did you know?” 

“You’re always going on about how you wish you could capture little moments so now you can.”

You lifted the device out of its packaging and switched it on, thankful it was already charged. You brought the view finder to your eye and took your first holo, Din’s smiling face looking at you just as he had that first day. You immediately took your second, Grogu with his little speeder. 

Your family.


End file.
